It's going to be a long, hot summer for elected officials in Chatham County.

Savannah-area taxpayers, too.

But don't blame the sizzle on the sun. Blame it on the $300-400 million in future sales tax revenue that's burning a hole in some politicians' pockets from Tybee to Bloomingdale.

Pray that the area's two top leaders - Chatham County Commission Chairman Pete Liakakis and Savannah Mayor Otis Johnson - have their fire extinguishers ready over the next few months. They're going to need them, given some of the comments about spending big bucks for a bigger jail.

But that's only if voters show them the money.

This potential gusher of cash will flow into the coffers of local governments if Chatham voters go to the polls Sept. 19 and agree to extend the existing Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for another four years. A separate vote may also be held that day for a brand new 1-percent sales tax for Chatham's public schools. The school board plans to use the E-SPLOST money for construction and renovation.

For 20 years, the SPLOST revenue stream has been the lifeblood for a slew of capital projects here for local governments. It helped pay for the trade center on Hutchinson Island. It covered much of the costs for the Truman Parkway, major drainage improvement projects and too many road projects to mention.

Other projects that owe their existences to SPLOST are the Tybee Pier, the aquatic center and the Anderson-Cohen Weightlifting Center.

Local officials, not surprisingly, would like to add to this long list for two reasons. The first is that it's good politics. SPLOST lets elected officials claim credit for tangible accomplishments, which boosts re-election efforts.

The second reason is that it's smart fiscal policy. Since Savannah is a big tourist town, visitors generate about a third of the money in the sales tax kitty. That takes pressure off property owners to fund necessary public projects.

But which public projects are necessary over the next four years? Expect heated debate - and hope that Liakakis and Johnson can keep temperatures down.

Liakakis is already on record in support of spending SPLOST funds on a $110-million expansion of the Chatham County Jail, where Sheriff Al St. Lawrence wants an 800-bed addition. Some kind of expansion is a must - the existing jail is overcrowded and citizens want criminals off the streets.

But $110 million for walls, bars and mattresses? That's $137,500 for each new bed - a sum that begs a question: "Does that include mints on the pillow at night?"

It's also enough to make Mayor Johnson's heart skip a beat - not good for his ailing ticker.

Johnson, whose background is social work, is skeptical about building a "mammoth" jail - especially if the community invests more resources in crime prevention and other public safety measures. And what might those include?

Last Thursday, the public got a glimpse when Savannah City Council approved its SPLOST list. It included $95 million for an "arena and public safety headquarters," $14.3 million for more street lights and about $11 million for new police stations and a police training facility. The street lights and police stations aren't going to raise eyebrows.

But $95 million for the civic center/public safety headquarters, like a $110-million jail, seems on the high side. It begs a question, too: Does this mean Savannah will get better concerts and bigger monster truck rallies in addition to improved public safety?

Other items demand more explanation and debate - $20 million for a youth-focused cultural art center, $10 million for a "youth activity area" and water park and $7.5 million for a "children's museum" at Battlefield Park.

I know that too many kids in this town lack positive things to do during their spare time. And today's idle youth can be tomorrow's crack dealer. But are these expenses necessary? Should government be paying for water parks, for example?

Johnson and Liakakis must be careful about how the two biggest local governments come up with the final list of SPLOST projects they will pitch to voters. Liakakis is already on record saying that he won't negotiate over the jail addition. But if the county insists on $110 million, that leaves $200-300 million for Savannah and the smaller municipalities to chew on. Don't forget that Tybee wants a $13-million slice, too.

I don't expect the mayor, even as he recovers from his heart attack, to fold like a $10 beach umbrella.

Expect him to remind Liakakis of the recent Chamber of Commerce poll that showed 40 percent of prospective voters would be less likely to vote for SPLOST if it included a major jail expansion - and expect Liakakis to fire back that the same poll showed 37 percent would be less likely to support SPLOST if it included a 15,000-seat arena.

So expect friction over the next few months. And that creates heat, which can lead to fire.

But let's also expect the two elected leaders to know when to pour on the water, not the gasoline.